Quiet Times Search

• While the 12 were thinking about who was the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus became their servant (King of Kings, Lord of Lords)
• Jesus the Master reversed roles and washed the feet of those in a subordinate position.
• He did this in full consciousness of his divine glory; (vs 1-3)
• He washed all the disciples feet, including Judas Iscariot (vs 12)

• He was empty of self interest. (vs 15)
• He voluntarily humbled himself (vs 14)
• His mind was focused on the works and interest of his master; (vs 3, 16)
• He was motivated by his love for the disciples; (vs 1)

• Peter: Remember when walking on water
• Thomas: But you doubted and fell into the water
• Peter: Like you have any room to talk, doubting Thomas
• James: Remember the transfiguration? Yeah, I was one of three disciples there. We saw Moses and Elijah.
• Andrew: Yeah, you seem to miss the whole point when you fixated on getting them shelters
• Matthew: We can take these guys anywhere

• Forgetting to the trash and why I was in the garage
• Forgetting Juniper's shoes on the way to church
  

Summary

God blessed Noah and set the rainbow as a sign that he would never flood the earth again. Noah got drunk and cursed Ham's son Canaan.

Observations

Genesis 9:3 - Everything ... will be food for you; I now give you everything
Again God shows his willingness to everything to become eatable but meat that still had lifeblood. Many of our reactions would have given up on mankind. And if we had not given up, we would not have given as much freedom so there would less possibility of disobedience to occur. But God continues to give freedom to his people.

Genesis 9:17 - sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth
Freedom is not free. There was great pain for God  [Genesis 6:6]  to see the state of man's heart and how the only solution was to destroy all living things and start over again. Today, God is still grieving over how our hearts turn from him. This time - He had to pay the ultimate sacrifice of His only Son so that he and us may have a relationship. This is the only way, How have we responded?

Personal Application

I don't grow very well in the good times. It is the times of trials and difficulty when I forced by God's discipline to change. I want to change and grow while not under all circumstances. What does it show God when I move toward him only when pushed?

Summary

The kings went to war and took Lot captive. Abram rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Observations

Genesis 14:18 - Melchizedek ... He was priest of God Most High
This is the first mention of a priest in the Bible. Melchizedek was the start of the line of priests that would stretch all the way to Jesus' time. Jesus because the high priest and the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him [Hebrews 5:9-10].

Genesis 14:23 - I will accept nothing belonging to you
Abram made the decision not to take anything from the king of Sodom while saving Lot. Instead he chose to give some of his possessions to the priest because he was so grateful that God gave him victory over the kings. He must of sensed something from the king of Sodom that was not right and did not want to be associated with him. Do we have worldly ties that we shouldn't? People around us can assume because hang around others that do wrong, we do the same things. We should live among people as Jesus did but how are we associated with them?

Personal Application

Do I have a good sense of my relationships? Do I tend to be a part of group to just belong or a higher reason? I find it much easier to take then to give and I do not think I have conviction on doing the reverse. There is no such thing as a free lunch (maybe from God because he gives freely) - are some offers of others giving really a trap? In some some situations, I should be giving instead of taking.

• Romans 5:6-8 - God was patient and loved us while we were enemies of His
• Ephesians 2:1-5 - We were objects of wrath; deserving to be squished (cockroach example)
• 1 Timothy 1:12-17 - We were shown unlimited patience, making it possible to have a chance

• Titus 3:3-7 - You were justified by grace at your baptism; nothing you did earned it
• Hebrews 10:19-22 - Your baptism gave you full assurance of God’s grace
• Acts 2:38-41 - You were forgiven, got the Holy Spirit, added to God’s kingdom – by grace

• Romans 5:9-11 - If God showed us patience while enemies, how much more now as friends?
• 2 Peter 3:17-18 - You are now in a secure position; enjoy it immensely

• Romans 6:5-11 - God’s grace gave us a new life – why would we want to return to the old
• Titus 2:11-14 - God’s grace teaches us t say no to sin (Cruise ship example)
• Jude 3-5 - God’s grace is not license to sin, rather a license against sin

1. Why does your hope in Christ go beyond this earthly life?
2. Why are we as Christians to be pitied if there is no eternal life?

1. What is the mystery Paul tells us (vs.51)?
2. Why do we normally fear death - and why should we no longer be afraid of dying?
3. Why should we work for the Lord? What will happen when we give ourselves completely?

1. When were you raised with Christ?
2. What should you be thinking about from now on?
3. What things should you stop thinking about so much?

• Examine your heart and actions based on Jesus' example the next time you get angry.
• Are you God-focused? Did you bring healing?
• Did you care enough to control your anger and turn it into a victory for God by bringing teaching and discipling to the situation?
  
• What could you have done differently to have Jesus' heart?

• Are you building and growing relationships?
• Are they deepening through openness, prayer, and discipleship?
• Pray for at least three people you want to build a deeper relationship with. Pray for them.

1. When challenges come, I must be open with how I really feel (v.11-15).
2. When challenges come, I need to turn to God in prayer (v. 2).
3. When challenges come, I cannot lose faith in God's power (v.21-23).

Not all the answers but I do know where get them along with advice from others

Going to share about 2-3 scriptures for use to discuss / feel free to be part of things

We need Jesus - Matthew 18:1-6

v1 - Side conversation while Jesus was doing miracles among them
Disciples we arguing about who was the greatest... maybe they were saying - I am the best parent or I have the best kid

v2 - God thoughts: The ones we are to teach are the ones who teach us the very lesson we need to teach them

v3 - It does not come naturally, we need to change

Starts with us - to get our relationship with God in order first - to be a child of God

Why is it so important to become childlike?

• So we can have a relationship with God / welcome Jesus
  
• Make it to heaven / considered the greatest
  
• Not become a stumbling block

• Humble ourselves
• Rely on God
• Seek out answers/advice from others
• Earniestness to learn
• Be relatable

We must totally aware of our own unworthiness

It took a while, but Job finally understood this: "My ears heard you but now my eyes...and repent in dust and ashes" - Job 42:5-6

This is the reaction we should have when sinful selfs meets a pure, holy and prefect God

David understood our unworthiness: "But who I am... Everything comes from you" - 1 Chonicles 29:14-15

Solomon aware of his own afflicions, asked God to hear men's prayers - 1 Kings 8:38

Jesus warned that we need to be careful to not be proud based off anything we have or done - Revelations 3:17
But to have the attitude of the tax collect who prayed "Have mercy on me, a sinner " - Luke 18:13

Our good deeds or possessions in no way make worthly of coming in the presence of the holy one

A story about a man falling asleep at the wheel while his family is in the car - illustrates where countless men are today

We have been lulled into a dream by our own passivity and laziness

Women are stressed out and longing for the man in their lives to wake up, rescue them.

God’s Word commands husbands and fathers to lovingly lead.

Men are being told they don’t have the permission or responsibility to lead.
 
If your wife has been calling all the shots in the family and has her hands on the wheel, then very likely it’s because you have not.

No man and no family is a lost cause when God gets involved.

Because you are the one in the driver’s seat, you can become the one He uses to steer your family back onto the path that will lead them to a place of safety, strength, and health.

Leadership determines direction.

Our relationship with our father is very telling as to why we are and who we are.

“What does my dad really think about me?” Lots of fathers don’t realize their vital role.

Many issues come from fathers having lost their sense of purpose.

Society is guiding boys to remain boys as long as possible— extending childhood into their thirties—while forcing girls to become women long before they are ready.

Millions of young men are staying single. They want the privileges and rewards of manhood but only the responsibilities and moral requirements of boys.

God has a special place in His heart for two specific groups of people: fatherless children and widows.
 
have in common? The most important man in the leadership role of their lives is gone.

Dad have good intention but there many things working against them:

• Divorce - best thing for kids is to see their parents humble themselves, repent of their selfishness, forgive one another, and recommit to their marriage
• Work - Before the industrial revolution, fathers primarily worked at home. When dad finally did get home, he was too tired to engage, and his family got the leftovers. Men need to set boundaries and learn to say “no,” his work priorities will constantly pull him away.
• Entertainment - the television becomes their influence instead which is a terrible father.
• Anti-father bias in media - dads on TV today are incompetent and constantly outwitted by their wives and disrespectful kids.
• The church - many church programs separate families to the point that kids never see their fathers

Devil will never stop attacking what God prioritizes.

We need to choose to let go of childishness and foolishness
When I became a man, I did away with childish things - 1 Corinthians 13:11

Clinging to childhood while growing into manhood is like trying to run in opposite directions at the same time aka the “Peter Pan Syndrome”

Teen years are often wasted and fathers have become silent.

Rather than initiating serious conversations with wiser men, they goof off with fools in sports bars

Too many men want the freedoms, rewards, and privileges of manhood but only the responsibilities of boyhood

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ - Ephesians 4:14-15

Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature - 1 Corinthians 14:20

The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands - Isaiah 32:8

Summary

Abraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac.

Observations

Genesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way
God blessed Abraham, as he promised [Genesis 12:2], more than he could have asked or imagined [Ephesians 3:20] because of his belief that He would be faithful in his promises. In the investment world, it is about making a return on managed risk. Sometimes in Wall Street you can yield a good return with analysis. Other times, no matter what, you can lose large amounts of captial.  But with God, you can bank on his promises through faithfulness. There is no guessing and changing out mind, we just need to be faithful.

Genesis 24:4 - Go instead to my homeland
His son was nearing 40 years old and Abraham was old himself. He was looked to pass the torch on the next generation. Abraham again was faced with the challege of age-related life changes [Genesis 21:2]. The easy way to find Isaac a spouse would be to just look around the local area. The rational here might be "well, they do not follow God now but we can convert them later". This idea rarely works out and can cause much harm spiritually. Abraham chose again to be faithfully and to take the path less traveled. That path for his servant was 450 miles away to Nahor.

Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there
Abraham nor his son were going to leave Cannon. There must have been some faithful prayer involved to find a way out of this situation [1 Corinthians 10:13]. How was Abraham going to find a wife for his son in a different land without standing in the way of God's promise? For both of them to go would have been an express of their lack of faith in God's promise. Also, if Isaac went a alone, he may have not returned. If Abrham went a alone, Isaac may have found a wife among the Canaanites while he was gone. The solution was a highly improbable plan (without God) for Abraham was to send his servant to find his wife. This way would be at a high cost to old man Abraham because of amount of work extra work he would need to do to cover while the servant was gone.

Application

I am convicted by the way Abraham chose to approach challenging situations. He did not chose the easy way or the first way that sounded right. He chose to be faithful and had a conviction to allow God's promises to fulfilled in his life. I did not mediate and pray through the challenges set before very often. Many times I just say or do the first things that comes to my mind. Those are often thoughts of the easy way or only way to go about things. I need to think about the bigger picture when making  decisions.

Prayer

Praying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations.

Take pleasure in my weakness; when I am weak, I am strong - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Paul did much of his writting in prison and enduring arrests, beatings, threats against his life because of Jesus

People who take pleasure in suffering are usually the ones who need mental help.

Paul knew his suffering wouldn't last forever and that God had something better

He remembered his suffering would last a moment, while the glory to come would last forever

Suffering can:

• build endurance
• mature your faith
• remind you of your own weakness
• bring you to the point of complete dependance of him

Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him - Genesis 6:22

Good things come to men who fully and complete follow instructions

Noah followed God's instructions to the letter, leaving nothing undone

If Noah had missed just one of God's instructions while building the Ark, we would not be here today.

Noah obeyed because he was a righteous man and he was a righteous man because of his obedience

When you follow God's instructions in every day life, you position yourslef to receive good things from Him.

Think of an area in your life that God has given you some pretty clrear instruction. Can God say you "did everything exacly as God had commanded"?

How could I go home to wine and dine while my master's men are camping in the open field? - 2 Samuel 11:11

It is admireable when a friend remains loyal and faithful even when treated shamefully

Uriah had no knowledge that David wronged him by sleeping with his wife

David's take-it-easy comment was just a attempt to cover David's sin; he later killed Uriah in battle

Uriah did his duty and demonstrated the godly trait of faithfulness

His faithfulness and loyalty cost him his life on earth

God never fails to reward those honor him

Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath or is it a day for doing evil? - Mark 3:4

Nothing gets the attention of a religous old guard faster than trying something new and different

Example: Jesus on earth with the Jewish leaders with so many rules and regulations

No one could keep all the rules and certainly not while joyfully serving God

Jesus' wisdom steered people back toward the spirit of the law - root in the love for God and neighbor

He healed a man in need and the leaders called it working therefore wrong

Are you legalist or do you enjoy the freedom Jesus came to give you?

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead - Revelation 1:17

Throughout history, men have struggled with Jesus' identity

John had no doubts while worshipping God in exciled to the Greek island of Patmos

While listening to Jesus' words and turned to look, he was floored at the sight of the Son of Man - Revelation 1:13

John had the privelege of hearing and seeing Jesus as the King and reacted with both dread and fear

While he was still a long way off - Luke 15:20

It is not hard to imagine a father tears watching his son taking his inheritance and disappearing from view

When the father saw his son appear on the horizen, he recongized

Despite the shuffle and haggard appearance, he knew him

He couldn't just stand and wait, so he ran

The father saw him not as a servant or as damaged goods but as a much-loved son in good standing

When you freely give yourself in this way, you heal your relationshops and set an example for others

I am sending him back to you and with him comes my own heart - Philemon 1:12

Onesimus had dessert his master, Philemon, and headed home to find anonymity

While there, he met Paul, who probably brought him to faith in Christ

Now Onesimus made a tough decision: return back to his master despite his fears

It would have been easier to stay in Rome but he knew that God wanted him to return to Philemon and make amends for his actions

God always honors you when you go out of your way to seek another's forgiveness

An angel gave me this command from the Lord .. but the old man was lying to him - 1 Kings 13:18

The prophet from Judah failure to fully obey God's instructions led to personal disaster:

1. Travel to Bethel and confront King Jeroboam
2. Do not eat or drink anything while in Bethel

The prophet excuted the first part perfectly:

1. Personally rebuked Jeroboam
2. Pronouned destruction of his alter
3. Taught the king a thing or two about keeping his hands of a true prophet of God

But the second part he failed - when home with an eldery prophet from Bethel because "God told him to"

Partial obedience is really disobedience

The prophet listened and lost everything - 1 Kings 13

While I was with you I would forget everything expcet Jesus Christ - 1 Corinthians 2:2

People who encoutered Paul understood what was most important to him: Christ sin-defeating death and grave-defeating life

He spent most of his life observing the Jewish laws and traditions but now everything was about Christ

Paul made it a point to forget everything else besides Christ:

• Impressive Education
• Impeccable religious pedigree
• Personal wisdom

Paul had more education and experiences more than anyone but chose to focus on one simple message of faith and love

Does your life convey the simple message that Jesus loves them?

When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai the people feared the Lord- Haggai 1:12

Setting priorities is a key to doing anything well

Haggai believed strongly in setting the right priorities and enourging others to do the same

The people of Jerusalem had a problem with priorities

They had settled nicely into their homes with the Temple was left unfinished after 16 years

Why are living in luxurious houses while God's house lies in ruins? - Haggai 1:4

The people of Jerusalem hadn't finished the Temple because it wasn't at the top of their to-do list

Haggai preached the right message at the right time

Their sense of priorities got straighten out and they got busy

Do you give to a ministry that God has put on your heart? If not, it is time to rearrange your priorities

Then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised - Judges 6:37

Some move out courageously and say, "Lets get started!" while others need to test the waters before taking their steps of faith

Gideon was a man of God who needed to be sure; was not a from a lack of faith

He apparently wasn't sure of he heard God correctly he asked God twice for a sign of confirmation

Gideon wanted to know without a doubt that he understood God's calling

God wasn't angry when Gideon asked him to confirm his commands and he won't be angry with you either

May the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful - Psalms 90:1

The formula for failure is trying to please everyone

Lasting blessing comes when you make pleasing God and seeking his approval your focus

In Psalms 90, Moses wrote while in the wilderness, plainly about the consequences of their stubbornness and disobedience

Most of those who left Egypt would never see the Promise Land but still found hope understanding the connection between willing obedience and divine blessing

Life is far too short and God's blessing to wonderful to miss anything he wants to give you

I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands - John 20:25

Thomas rallied his fellow disciples to follow Jesus into Judea, "Let's go and die with Jesus" - John 11:16

The days following Jesus' death, Thomas was spiritually drained and refused to believe Jesus was alive while others had seen him

After eight days, his Master appeared to him - "Put your finger here and look at my hands" - John 20:27

In his joy at finally seeing the resurrected Jesus - "My Lord and my God!" - John 20:28

Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan - Judges 13:24-25

The man who learns to put himself aside is the one who makes a difference for God's kingdom

From the time Samson was a boy, the Spirit began to stir within him

That is when self got in the way

Something went wrong between God's Spirit and Samson

Samson didn't use the gifts of God had given him as a leader and deliever God called him to be

He used his gifts for his own agenda:

• Consistantly proud
• Often immoral
• Arrogantly disregarded the counsel of others
• Used strength for revenge and settle scores

God gave Samson all the strength he needed to succeed

Samson squandered an opportunity for greatness and left a legacy of pride

Will you use your gifts for his benefit or just for yourself?

Can truth be known?

Athiest may start with "I don't believe in God!"
Are you sure there is no God? If no, then may actually be agnostic
If you agnostic, then what kind?
    - Can't know anything for sure - how are you so sure about that?
    - Doesn't know anything for sure, but can know

Would you be willing to look at the evidence? Evidence can not convince the unwilling

Complete agnosticism is self-defeating  - "truth can not be known" and believe it to be true (a true claim)

Truth can be known? YES

Can all religions be true?
No, because some are contradictory:

• World religions have more contradictions than similarities
• While reglions have some similarities, because of God has planted on our hearts

Major differences:

• Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in one God vs Hindus/New Age believe everything that exists is an impersonal force
• Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in heaven and hell vs Hindus believe evil is an illusion
• Christians believe you are saved by grace while all others believe in salvation by good works if they believe in salvation at all

"Tolerance" means that you are suppose to except all religions to be true

1. Accept people with other beliefs and but not yourself
2. "You ought not question someone religious beliefs" is a religious belief of pluralists
3. Prohibition against questioning beliefs is an absolute moral stance
4. Bible commands us to questions beliefs - pluralist should accept this believe
5. They only tolerate of those who agree with them

You shall not judge - it is a judgment
All judge, it is about if we make the right judgment
Ready to accept child sacrifices or radical fundamental terrorists? 
If in error, it is not loving to withhold truth from others

Elephant parable (world religions are objective vs objective) - may seem persuasive until you get to one question  - what the perceptive of the narrator, isn't it an objectiveone?